The city of Idrija in a basin between undulating hills where the natural environments of the subalpine and karst worlds meet. A half millennium of mining mercury in Idrija and its surroundings left an exceptionally rich heritage of technical, cultural, and historical monuments and points of interest available to visitors as museum displays. Among the ethnological attractions, Idrija bobbin lace is particulary outstanding and ranks Idrija among the most eminent European centers of this valuable folk art. Also rich and diverse is the traditional local cuisine in which the foremost place belongs to the delicacy populary known as "idrijski žlikrofi", a type of ravioli stuffed with potato and chives.

Heritage of Mercury. Almadén and Idrija

UNESCO World Heritage List Inscription 2012

The industrial heritage of two world famous mercury mines – Almadén in Spain and Idrija in Slovenia were classified on the prestigious list of world heritage for being the two largest mines for the extraction of this amazing and only liquid metal; moreover, they were historically connected by preserving the diverse and unique heritage associated with the extraction of mercury. Together they present various aspects of 'mercury culture' in the technical and economic senses as well as the cultural, urban, social and ecological senses. In modern times they have significantly co-shaped world history. Mercury extracted from these two mines was used in South-American mines of silver and gold in the amalgamation process for the extraction of these precious metals that returned to Europe as riches and enabled the development of economy, science and art.

The heritage in Idrija inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List includes the heritage of the mine and mining in the widest possible sense: the mines, tunnels, shafts, industrial buildings and profane and sacral architecture. Anthony's shaft is the most important feature of the mines (it represents the Idrija underground in the form of a museum), followed by the Gewerkenegg castle, where the best European museum of industrial and technical heritage found its place, Francisca's shaft with restored mining machines and equipment, the 'kamšt', smelting plant, 'klavže water barrier', mine´s warehouse and mine´s theatre, Idrija miner´s house, the old city centre, etc.